Johnny Depp Sues ACLU Over Alleged Amber Heard Donation

Johnny Depp is suing the America Civil Liberties Union over an alleged donation that his ex-wife Amber Heard may, or may not, have made to the organization. Following their former couple’s divorce, Heard pledged to donate $7 million of her settlement money to the ACLU, and Depp wants to know if she ever made the donation. According to The Daily Mail, the actor’s legal team filed paperwork to try and force the ACLU to reveal if it received the money after the lawyers could only verify about $450,000 in donations.

In a previous statement, the ACLU asserted that it “would not be producing the documents and testimony concerning the Op-Ed without an agreement on confidentiality.” Now, Depp and his attorneys are suing the organization in New York, where it is based, hoping the courts will require the group to reveal the information. “The ACLU Witnesses’ reticence to provide more information ‘appears to be part of a collusive effort with Ms. Heard to prevent evidence showing that Ms. Heard perjured herself from becoming public,” Depp’s lawyers allege.

They continued: “Applying New York law, the Court should reject the ACLU Witnesses’ outrageous stonewalling. Mr. Depp, accordingly, respectfully requests that this Court enter an order directing the ACLU Witnesses to fully comply with the Subpoenas.” The reason that Depp seems to be pursuing this so fervently is due to the fact that the ACLU donation pledge was a significant factor in the defamation suit he recently lost in the United Kingdom.

Depp was suing a British tabloid for referring to him as “wife-beater,” and during the proceedings, Heard gave a testimony that indicated she’s already med the donation. “I remained financially independent from him [Depp] the whole time we were together and the entire amount of my divorce settlement was donated to charity.” Judge Andrew Nichol cited this while deciding against Depp in the case. “Her donation of the $7 million to charity is hardly the act one would expect of a gold-digger,” he stated.

However, Depp has remained adamant that Heard never made the donation she claims to have made, and he believes that the ACLU records would prove it. Notably, The Daily Mail reported in January that it had discovered evidence that Heard only paid $100,000 of $3.5 million that she promised to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. These documents had been directly provided by leadership from the hospital.